Turkish parliament speaker highlights strong Indonesia-Türkiye relations

Historical ties and shared values between Indonesia and Türkiye provide a strong foundation to advance relations, said Numan Kurtulmus, speaker of the Grand National Assembly, on Thursday.

In remarks to parliament before the Indonesian leader's speech, Kurtulmus emphasized that during Prabowo's tenure as defense minister from 2019 to 2024, close relations were established between Türkiye and Indonesia in the fields of military and defense industry cooperation.

He added that after becoming the president, Prabowo continued to prioritize the development of Türkiye-Indonesia relations across all areas.

Kurtulmus reminded that the first meeting of the Türkiye-Indonesia High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was held during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's official visit to Indonesia in February.

"President Subianto becomes the first Indonesian head of state to address our esteemed assembly. Tomorrow, he will also participate in the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum," he said.

- 'Our Turkish language is taught in brotherly Indonesia'

"Our bilateral relations are developing in various fields, including trade, defense industry, agriculture, health, and tourism. We are also maintaining excellent cooperation in the field of education. Currently, about 5,300 Indonesian students are receiving education in our country,” Kurtulmus said, adding that since 2022, Turkish has been taught in Indonesia through the Yunus Emre Institute. He thanked the Indonesian government for its support of the Turkish language and cultural center.

“President Subianto's address to our assembly coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Indonesia, which I believe is a significant coincidence and a valuable opportunity to further strengthen our relations," Kurtulmus said.

He said Indonesia is one of the rising stars in Asia. The global system, he argued, is evolving into a multipolar, multi-centered structure, with Asia becoming the focal point and countries in the region emerging as leaders in fields such as economy, trade, education, and new technologies.

- 'Brotherly Indonesia shows great sensitivity to the Palestinian issue'

Commenting on Indonesia's support to Palestinians, Kurtulmus said: "The brotherly people of Indonesia show great sensitivity to the Palestinian issue. Türkiye and Indonesia cooperate in international forums such as the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, G20, and MIKTA, supporting each other's initiatives."

He said inter-parliamentary relations would be developed further and that he would be pleased to have the speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives attend the pro-Palestine Parliamentary Speakers Group meeting in Istanbul on April 18.